Homemade Turkey Noodle soup is the perfect soup for making with left over turkey! Tender chunks of leftover turkey, with carrots, celery, onion and egg noodles all simmered in a homemade turkey stock. This soup is perfect for using up those turkey leftovers!
Turkey Noodle Soup
There are not many things that my mom can cook, my dad was the cook in our house but growing up when it came to things my mom could make homemade Turkey Soup was one of them. It sounds like it is going to be hard to do, but really it is SUPER easy. The hardest part is waiting for the broth! This is the perfect recipe to make with extra turkey after a holiday.
Looking for more soup recipes? Check these out!
- Crockpot Taco Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Loaded Cauliflower Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
If you are looking for a budget friendly way to have a lot of meals, cooking a turkey is a great way to have lots of meals on the cheap. There are many times that I will cook a turkey to be one meal and then I make lots of different meals using the leftover turkey all week long. My favorite way to cook a turkey is with a dry salt brine.
Recipes to make with Leftover Turkey
- Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
- Turkey Dinner roll-ups
- Turkey and Brussel Sprouts Casserole
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Gobbler Sandwich
- Thanksgiving Leftover Charcuterie Board
- Sweet Potato Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
What to serve with Turkey Noodle Soup
Easy homemade turkey noodle soup is a meal on its own. Loaded with chicken and veggies it makes almost a full and complete healthy meal all by itself.
Many times when I make chicken noodle soup for dinner it is our main dish and I serve it with a salad and some fresh bread, biscuits, cheddar biscuits or crackers. If you are looking for an amazing salad dressing to put on your salad be sure to check out honey poppyseed dressing and garlic lime vinaigrette salad dressing. If you are using the leftovers from when you made a large turkey for a holiday, use the left over bread you have as your side dish.
Do I need to use Stock when making Turkey soup?
You will need 8 cups of turkey broth to make this turkey soup recipe, either using the homemade turkey broth included in this recipe, straight homemade turkey stock which I have included the directions for below, or with store bought turkey stock.
To make things cook quicker I use Turkey or chicken stock to the water while boiling the turkey carcass. If you do not want to use stock at all then you will want to use 12 cups of water and boil the turkey carcass in the water for about 2 hours until you have reduced the broth by about 1/3rd. Then you will want to Remove the bones and any fat from the pot by straining it thru a cheese cloth in to a large bowl. You can make more turkey broth if you want to by starting with more water and then waiting for it to cook down.
If you want a more flavorful broth you can also add vegetables like celery, carrots and onions, mushrooms, parsnips, and leeks while you are cooking the carcass. All you have to do is toss them in the water with the carcass and discard them with the carcass after you are done making the broth.
If you are making extra broth that you will not be using in the soup, it is easy to store and freeze to use for recipes later.
How to Store Turkey Broth
Storing broth is easy and must be stored in the fridge or freezer. When storing in the fridge, you can store it in ziploc bags or my favorite way which is in a mason jar. It is important to store broth in an air tight container. Broth will last for 4-5 days in the fridge.
How to Freeze Homemade Turkey Broth
There are multiple ways to freeze homemade turkey broth. However I find the easiest way to freeze chicken broth is to pour it into ice cube trays and freeze the broth. Then once the broth is frozen store it in a ziploc freezer bag.
You can also cool your turkey broth and then pour it into a freezer bag and freezer it by laying it flat in the freezer.
The most important thing to remember when freezing turkey broth is that you put a date on it. Turkey Broth will keep in the freezer for 6 months or a deep freezer for 12 months.
Be sure to check out the full instructions for how to freeze soups and stocks.
Best noodles for turkey noodle soup
Traditionally I make my turkey noodle soup with egg noodles. However you can also use Chinese egg noodles, Fusilli noodles, or Acini Di Pepe Pasta.
What vegetables go in turkey noodle soup?
When I make chicken noodle soup most of the time, I stick to carrots, onions and celery but there are lots of veggies that you can also add to chicken noodle soup to change things up a bit. Some of the veggies I have also added to this soup recipe are:
- peas
- green beans
- corn
- Broccoli
- Kale
Make The Holiday Easier!
How to Store Turkey Noodle Soup
When you make turkey soup it is a great soup to double or triple so you have left overs. Yon can store left over turkey soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Freeze Homemade Turkey Soup
If you are wanting to freeze turkey soup to enjoy later follow the recipe until adding in the noodles. You will then boil the soup with out the noodles, but with the vegetables until the vegetables are soft. Once they are soft, turn the heat off and allow the soup to cool completely. You can freeze this turkey noodle soup in ziploc freezer bags or in air tight containers. Be sure you leave space at the top for expanding when you freeze it.
You want to leave the noodles out of the soup when you are freezing it as they will become soggy.
When it is time to serve it, cook egg noodles in a pot while defrosting and heating the soup up in another pot. Then drain the noodles and add the noodles into the soup when they are done cooking.
Homemade Turkey Soup Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass
- 5 cups water
- 4 cups turkey or chicken stock
- 4 stocks celery, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 springs rosemary
- 2 cups turkey meat
- 12 ounces egg noodles
How to Make Turkey Soup
Get a large stockpot or dutch oven and place the turkey carcass, water, and stock into the pot. Bring it up to a boil over high heat, once it is boiling reduce the heat to medium-low heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Once done simmering, remove the bones and any fat from the pot by straining it thru a cheese cloth or a strainer in to a large bowl.
Discard the turkey carcass gunk and pour 8 cups of turkey broth back into the stock pot.
Wash and chop the celery, carrots and onion and add them to the broth.
Chop the turkey into bite sized pieces and add into the stock pot.
Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and egg noodles to the pot and boil until the noodles are cooked.
Remove the bay leaf from the soup and serve or store.
Homemade Turkey Noodle soup
Ingredients
Instructions
- Get a large stockpot or dutch oven and place the turkey carcass, water, and stock into the pot. Bring it up to a boil over high heat, once it is boiling reduce the heat to medium-low heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
- Once done simmering, remove the bones and any fat from the pot by straining it thru a cheese cloth or a strainer in to a large bowl.
- Discard the turkey carcass gunk and pour 8 cups of turkey broth back into the stock pot.
- Wash and chop the celery, carrots and onion and add them to the broth.
- Chop the turkey into bite sized pieces and add into the stock pot.
- Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and egg noodles to the pot and boil until the noodles are cooked.
- Remove the bay leaf from the soup and serve or store.
Follow Us For More!
Be sure to share your review in the comments below and follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok for even more food + family fun!